The Truth About Alberta Tar Sands

In 1954, Robert Fitzsimmons published a booklet with the imposing title The Truth About Alberta Tar Sands. In it, he poses the question “Why were they kept out of production?” and attempts to demonstrate that development of the oil sands—particularly his own efforts—was purposely blocked. Fitzsimmons was satisfied that his method for extracting oil from the sand could turn a profit, but he was unable to find enough financial support to build a commercial plant.

His conclusion was that the actions of government and big oil had combined to make it impossible for him to succeed. What he didn’t take into account was world events such as the Great Depression and World War II, as well as the technical challenges of the oil sand separation process that he did not know about and wasn’t equipped to address. Nevertheless, it is easy to understand Fitzsimmons’s frustration as he watched others carry on with the quest to which he had devoted so much time, money and ingenuity.